The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-04-01


well and ineonspicuOusly covered, your
background humbly waiting for the
choicer objects to come. what nextl
Curtainsi Some sort, II only rufiied
cheese cloth. In these days Of bargains
and cheap wash goods Of really lovely
designs, no one with little more than
enough to pay for the table; need 90
without curtains. And q room Is never
hOme-like with bare windows. Cornices
are fortunately abandoned. alike BY
fashion, and aesthetics. and the simple
and servieeable pole and ring have tax
en- their place. The size Of the pole
should be determined BY the hind Of
curtain. Portieres and heavy curtains
require bulky poles. and lace curtains
slender ones. The curtains should not
be held back by brass chains, foolish
fancy brought out last winter. hut by
cords or ribbons. A dainty little cot
tage had its fresh white curtains caught
back with scarfs Of silk like a small
boys necktie, four or five inches wide,
the two cOlOrs a duh brownish red, or
reddish brown, and an oriental blue,
deep in tone, with a green tint, but yet
not n peacock. The longer scarf, which
went around the lace, was Of the cop
per silk, and the blue was knOtted In
with It. There were no loops, only
four ends. The advantage az this mode
of draping is that the ties may be wash
ed again and again. and ioJks rs good
as new. Wash silk might be bought at
sixty cents yard, cnt into strips OF
the required length, and hemmed all
around on the machine.
Sash curtains are often q very desir-
able addition to the big windows now
in vogue, which are too wide 10 be well
draped with a single pair Of curtains.
Cotton Grape ut fifteen cents yard is
an admirable material for this purpose.
Bright, sunshiny yellow is very effect
i've in a north room, and white Is APP
propTiate for bedrooms silk tassels 10
match. sewed into a band like a fringe,
may be had for twenty-five cents a yard
made to order; n bargain may some
times be picked up for less. The Grape
will wash perfectly, and may be ironed
or not as you choose. The little silk
balls, persuaded by hair-pin. win re
sumo their pristine fiuffiness. Excel
lent cOlorings may be had in the imita-
ton Madras eOttons, at from fifteen to
fifty cents a yard. These stufS wash
as well as white, and are sometimes
better, as at sunny window, or to tone
down a somewhat light-cOlOred room.
Curtain lambrequins, like cornices,
are now entirely abandoned. Some
people put the discarded parlOr lambre-
quins up at their basement dining-rOOm
windows, with loving and regretful
thought back at the hours of toll over
them, but il Is a mistaken idea. The
lambrequins never were pretty, and
never will be, however great the labor
on them, or the cost. II you would
have your dining-room pretty, you
must Danish them. II You are clever.
you will find some way TO utilize the
good material and misplaced embroid-
cry. Basement dining-room curtains
are effective made of cotton Grape. or
muslin barred with pale yellow bands,
or dotted in blue, red or pink. The
color must not he too conspicuous, or
the pattern, and the goods should be
washable. They may be appropriately
finished with a fringe Of tiny cotton
balls, and should be hung straight
down from a small brass rod. They
are better not tied back, but Just push
ed foot or two apart; they should be
close against the window glass, and
reach just to the sill Indeed. they
should escape touching by half-inch.
Simple draping like this win not inter
fere with the use OF the wide window
seat, and win add materially TO the
appearance Of the house from the out
side.-Mdrion Foster Waskbtrne %
Good Housekeeping.